Trim button



June 17, 1969 w MACKEY 3,449,802

TRIM BUTTON Filed May 18, 1964 INVENTOR. WA LTE R MAC K EY EMMW ZnX A TTORNEVS United States Patent 3,449,802 TRHM BUTTON Walter Mackey, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Ray E. Forsyth, Birmingham, Mich.

Filed May 18, 1964, Ser. No. 368,176 The portion of the term of the patent subsequent to Aug. 30, 1983, has been disclaimed Int. Cl. A44b 1/12, 1/32 U.S. Cl. 24-113 2 Claims This invention relates to trim buttons and particularly to trim buttons that are used in automobile upholstery.

vPrior art trim buttons conventionally comprise a separately formed base and rigid stem which are fastened together.

It is an object of this invention to provide a trim button which is simple, low in cost and easier to manufac ture than prior art trim buttons and wherein the collet and fastening stem are integrally formed of plastic.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a part sectional exploded view of a trim button assembly embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a trim button embodying the invention in position on an upholstery wall.

Referring to FIG. 1, a trim button embodying the in vention comprises a one piece plastic collet member comprising a base 11 having a top surface 12 and an inclined peripheral surface 13 extending axially and radially inwardly toward a stem 14 that extends from a bottom surface 15 of the base 11. Collet member 10 including the integral base 11 and stem 14 can be made of various plastic materials. Satisfactory results have been achieved when the collet is made of nylon. A cap 16 is provided over the base 11 and includes a metal cupshaped member having a top wall 17 an an annular side wall 18, the free edge 19 of the side wall being deformed axially and radially inwardly adjacent bottom surface 15 of base 11. A covering C is provided over the outer surface of the base 17, the outer surface of side wall 18, around the free edge 19 of side wall 18, along the inner surface of the side wall 18 and radially inwardly along the inner surface of the top wall 17. The portion of the covering C adjacent the free edge 19 is thickened as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The covering C can comprise various plastic and cloth materials including vinyl impregnated drill, knit or paper backs. Alternatively, the cap 16 can be uncovered to produce a metallic decorative button.

The stem 14 of the collet member is preferably formed with a portion 20 of reduced cross section to provide a shoulder 21 which is engaged by the edge 22 of a fastener 23. The fastener 23 includes an annular base 24 and an inclined central portion 25 having an opening 26 defining the free edge 22. The free end of the stem 14 is preferably tapered as at 27 to facilitate the insertion and positioning of the fastener 23.

In practice, the trim button is put into position with 3,449,802 Patented June 17, 1969 ice the stem 14 extending through an opening 28 of the upholstery surface such as the upholstery panel of an automobile door and the fastener 23 is positioned so that the end of the stem 14 passes through the fastener to engage the shoulder 21 with the edge 22. This holds the button in position.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided a trim button which is relatively simple, can be manufactured at low cost and with a minimum of labor.

It will be understood that in some cases it will be possible to emboss or otherwise ornamentally form the top of the collet member 10, in which case the cap may be dispensed with and the member 10 will be both a collet and ornamental button.

I claim:

1. A trim button comprising a one piece plastic collet, said collet comprising a base having top and bottom surfaces and a peripheral surface, and an integral solid stem extending from the bottom surface of said base, said stem having a shoulder adjacent the free edge thereof for engagement of a fastener element, a cap aflixed to said base, said cap being generally cup shaped and comprising a top wall and a side wall deformed radially inwardly into contact with the surface of periphery of said base of said collet, the free edge of said side wall of said cap extending radially inwardly adjacent the bottom surface of said base, and a covering on said cap, said covering extending over the outer surface of said top wall of said cap, the outer surface of said side wall of said cap, around the free edge of said side wall, along the inner surface of said side wall of said cap and radially inwardly along a portion of the inner surface of the bottom wall of said cap and terminating adjacent but spaced from said stem, the free edge of said covering being substantially thicker in cross section in the area adjacent the free edge of the side wall of said cap.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said covering comprises a vinyl impregnated cloth.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 122,468 1/ 1872 Kolben -53 575,157 1/1897 Howell 24-152 658,000 9/1900 Young 24-152 1,397,388 11/1921 Tobey 85-53 X 2,108,255 2/1938 De'vendor et al 24-95 2,802,297 8/1957 Meyer 5-356 FOREIGN PATENTS 63,694 4/ 1955 France. 916,398 1/ 1963 Great Britain.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 24-152 

1. A TRIM BUTTON COMPRISING A ONE PIECE PLASTIC COLLET, SAID COLLET COMPRISING A BASE HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES AND A PERIPHERAL SURFACE, AND AN INTEGRAL SOLID STEM EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID BASE, SAID STEM HAVING A SHOULDER ADJACENT THE FREE EDGE THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT OF A FASTENER ELEMENT, A CAP AFFIXED TO SAID BASE, SAID CAP BEING GENERALLY CUP SHAPED AND COMPRISING A TOP WALL AND A SIDE WALL DEFORMED RADIALLY INWARDLY INTO CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE OF PERIPHERY OF SAID BASE OF SAID COLLET, THE FREE EDGE OF SAID SIDE WALL OF SAID CAP EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY ADJACENT THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID BASE, AND A COVERING ON SAID CAP, SAID COVERING EXTENDING OVER THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID TOP WALL OF SAID CAP, THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SIDE WALL OF SAID CAP, AROUND THE FREE EDGE OF SAID SIDE WALL, ALONG THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID SIDE WALL OF SAID CAP AND RADIALLY INWARDLY ALONG A PORTION OF THE INNER SURFACE OF THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID CAP AND TERMINATING ADJACENT BUT SPACED FROM SAID STEM, THE FREE EDGE OF SAID COVERING BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THICKER IN CROSS SECTION IN THE AREA ADJACENT THE FREE EDGE OF THE SIDE WALL OF SAID CAP. 